After NBC4 found it was cheaper — but illegal — to drive to Michigan to purchase recreational marijuana, some viewers asked about medical marijuana prices increasing after recreational cannabis sales began.
Although medical marijuana legislation for Ohio patients first went into effect in September 2016, the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control first began publishing average sales pricing data in 2021. In January 2021, an ounce of cannabis flower cost, on average, $245.54 and was only available to medical patients. In 2023, prices were lower but still fluctuated. At its cheapest, Sept. 4, 2023, an ounce of flower cost $153.
Ohioans legalized recreational marijuana in November 2023, although recreational marijuana sales did not open until August 2024. According to data from the DCC, an ounce of marijuana flower cost $169.60 in November 2023, before recreational sales began. In November 2024, it cost $212.58.
According to data from the DCC, marijuana pricing was trending downward before recreational sales began and spiked after they started. However, the data shows sales have decreased since then and are moving toward previous pricing. Department of Commerce Public Information Officer Jamie Crawford said licensed dispensaries set their prices based on factors like product type, supply, wholesale prices, and demand.
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